Issued by: Office of the President
I have previously announced that I have appointed Mr. Fikile Bam as the President of the Land Claims Court.
I originally intended to appoint a President and two additional judges to this court. However, I am of the view that the anticipated workload of the Land Claims Court makes it desirable that five judges be appointed.
After consultation with the Judicial Services Commission and Judge Bam, I have decided to appoint the following people as additional judges to the Land Claims Court:
Mr. Alan Dodson Dr Antonie Gildenhuys Mr. Justice Moloto
I intend appointing a further judge after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission and Judge Bam. I have noted that the names submitted to me by the Judicial Services Commission did not include any women. I trust that suitable candidates will come forward to enable me to address this issue when a further appointment is made.
The Land Claims Court has a critical role to play in ensuring that we deal effectively and fairly with the sensitive issue of redressing past discrimination in respect of land ownership and occupation.
I am confident that the newly appointed members of the Land Claims Court will do this in a manner hich promotes the interests of justice and the values embedded in the Constitution.
Nelson Mandela
26 July 1995
RESUME OF MR ALAN DODSON
Issued by: Office of the President
Mr Alan Dodson is an attorney in a Cape Town firm. His major area of practice has been in the field of human rights. His involvement in the field of land and development matters has included acting as advisory board member of the Western Cape-based Surplus Peoples Project (SPP). He is at present an advisor to the Cape Town Community Land Trust and has also represented a number of families whose land was expropriated under the Group Areas Act.
He has over the years been involved in numerous cases representing communities whose occupation of land was threatened. In the process he has assisted in preventing the eviction of some 10 000 people.
Mr Dodson was born in Manzini, Swaziland in 1960. He completed his LLB at the University of Natal in 1984, graduating Cum Laude, and was a member of the Law Students Council. He obtained a Master of Laws degree at the University of Cambridge in 1988.
RESUME OF DR ANTONIE GILDENHUYS
Dr Antonie Gildenhuys is an attorney in practice in Johannesburg. He is an acknowledged expert in property law, water law, the law regarding town and regional planning, and general commercial law. He is a leading authority on expropriation law.
He was previously the chairperson of the National Peace Secretariat. He is a member of the board of the SABC.
He was born in Johannesburg in 1935, graduated from the University of Pretoria and subsequently obtained his LLD from the University of South Africa. He has held various academic positions and directorships, and has won several awards, particularly for his contribution to the promotion of peace.
RESUME OF MR JUSTICE MOLOTO
Mr J B M Moloto is an attorney with experience in INTER ALIA, contract and property law, constitutional matters and the administration of estates. He was previously Executive Director of the Legal Education Centre of the Black Lawyers Association.
He has been a board member of numerous institutions, including the South African Students Internship Foundation, the Bureau for Literacy and Literature, and the South African Legal Defence Fund. He has travelled extensively in South Africa and internationally, especially to Europe, the USA and Canada.
Mr Moloto was born in 1944. He obtained his BA BProc in 1978 through the University of South Africa and subsequently was the managing partner of two law firms. At present he is Contracts Manager at the Fuel and Water Department of Eskom.